--- product_id: 279934340 title: "The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming" price: "216.96 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/279934340-the-ultimate-history-of-video-games-volume-2-nintendo-sony store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming **Price:** 216.96 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming - **How much does it cost?** 216.96 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/279934340-the-ultimate-history-of-video-games-volume-2-nintendo-sony) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming [Kent, Steven L.] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming Review: A satisfying history of video games in (mostly) the first decade of the 21st century - Having enjoyed his first volume (finished this year) I was thrilled to see that he was releasing a volume 2 focusing solely on video games in the 21st century because that account has been lacking. Going forward I hope that video game historians start their history of video games at the turn of the century because that point in time is the genesis of video games as we know them today in the age of Web 2.0, online multiplayer and cloud storage. It's mostly a history of first party console and handheld manufacturers and AAA publishers, and a great one it is at that. You do find some interesting niche chapters on state of arcade gaming, the competition between EA and Activision for the most prevalent AAA publisher in the industry, and on the discussion of whether video games are considered 'art' and why film licensed games and film adaptations of games have not been successful. You're not really going to find much detail on mobile, PC and indie games, though the author is begging for a volume 3 since he leaves off unresolved at the peak of the PS3/XBox 360/Wii era towards the end of the 10s. Hopefully he'll fill us in on those things by then when volume 3 is released which he has confirmed that he's working on that to my delight. Overall I enjoyed it. 5/5. Review: A great read - Once again, as in the first volume of The Ultimate History of Video Games, Mr. Kent's second volume is a fun, interesting and informative read. I especially enjoyed the quotes from the people who were present at these many industry changing moments. I am hoping for a volume three one day. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #427,357 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #177 in Communication & Media Studies #214 in Video & Computer Games #440 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences | | Book 2 of 2 | Ultimate History of Video Games | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (252) | | Dimensions | 7.28 x 1.18 x 9.09 inches | | ISBN-10 | 1984825437 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1984825438 | | Item Weight | 2.18 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 592 pages | | Publication date | August 24, 2021 | | Publisher | Crown | ## Images ![The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71PIVXMA59L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A satisfying history of video games in (mostly) the first decade of the 21st century *by H***R on September 29, 2021* Having enjoyed his first volume (finished this year) I was thrilled to see that he was releasing a volume 2 focusing solely on video games in the 21st century because that account has been lacking. Going forward I hope that video game historians start their history of video games at the turn of the century because that point in time is the genesis of video games as we know them today in the age of Web 2.0, online multiplayer and cloud storage. It's mostly a history of first party console and handheld manufacturers and AAA publishers, and a great one it is at that. You do find some interesting niche chapters on state of arcade gaming, the competition between EA and Activision for the most prevalent AAA publisher in the industry, and on the discussion of whether video games are considered 'art' and why film licensed games and film adaptations of games have not been successful. You're not really going to find much detail on mobile, PC and indie games, though the author is begging for a volume 3 since he leaves off unresolved at the peak of the PS3/XBox 360/Wii era towards the end of the 10s. Hopefully he'll fill us in on those things by then when volume 3 is released which he has confirmed that he's working on that to my delight. Overall I enjoyed it. 5/5. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A great read *by A***W on May 15, 2022* Once again, as in the first volume of The Ultimate History of Video Games, Mr. Kent's second volume is a fun, interesting and informative read. I especially enjoyed the quotes from the people who were present at these many industry changing moments. I am hoping for a volume three one day. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A good but flawed follow-up to an all-time classic *by T***E on September 16, 2021* Some 20 years after his seminal book, the original "The Ultimate History of Video Games", Steven Kent has returned with volume 2. Following the same format as volume 1, the end result is good but something of a mixed bag as well. Picking up in 1996 where volume 1 left off, Kent tells the story of console releases and the people behind them. He liberally sprinkles in quotes from key players and an occasional journalist. These are entertaining and provide insights you're not going to find just anywhere. Really good stuff. And you got almost 500 pages of that kind of material. So that's a good thing, right? Well... There are numerous problems. First and foremost is ... where are the games?!!? Oh sure, SOME games are mentioned but "The Ultimate History of Video Games" - not Video Game CONSOLES but Video Games - should have coverage of LOTS of games. Where is Assassin's Creed? Where is Uncharted? Where the heck are all the RTS games that dominated PC gaming for several years? And on and on and on. There are TONS of key games missing here. Next is that, without stating it, the book stops with the PS3 generation - sort of. Lots of stuff is talked about from after that generation - but not the PS4 or PS5, not the Xbox One or Series S/X. Next, where are the games for mobile platforms? Kent talks about the PSP and DS but completely ignores phones. If you accept the arbitrary cutoff date of "the PS3 generation", this is still not acceptable. The original iPhone was released less than a year after the PS3 but doesn't exist here. Ditto for Android. Where are all the indie games? Not here. Where is Steam? Steam was introduced *3* years before the PS3 yet goes without mention here. The PSN Network was hacked in 2011 but goes unmentioned here. Speaking of PSN and its competitor, Xbox Live, the rise of online gaming is pretty much ignored here. Oh, they're discussed but only as a feature of hardware platforms rather than the global communities they've become. Next, there is somehow a lot of rehashed material here. The formation of Electronic Arts and its "album cover" boxes was discussed in Volume 1 - why is it included again here? Same thing with Activision. In addition, Kent has a somewhat strange selection of sources. He's got a lot of key players and industry insiders and then remarkably few journalists. There's a ton of quotes from N'Gai Croal, a video game journalist I've never heard of previously - perhaps because he wrote for Newsweek rather than an actual video game publication. Croal is quoted over and over and over with his words being given way too much importance. Kent also makes sure to tell us what Croal's favorite game is for no apparent reason. Finally, we get 30-some pages on movies about video games. I suppose that's OK but seems out of place here, especially considering the huge number of, you know, GAMES that are missing. At the end of the day, Kent's Volume 2 is a highly entertaining read that will end up frustrating almost as much as it entertains. There are just so many things ignored and missed that, unlike Volume 1, this one does not live up to its "Ultimate" title. I do recommend the book, just be forewarned. p.s. Don't believe the "592 pages" information. The actual book ends on page 530. The acknowledgements and index take you to 562. And there's a few pages of intro. Being very generous, there's barely 570 pages here. Realistically, it's more like 530. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2: Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and the Billion-Dollar Battle to Shape Modern Gaming - The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon--The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World - The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/279934340-the-ultimate-history-of-video-games-volume-2-nintendo-sony](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/279934340-the-ultimate-history-of-video-games-volume-2-nintendo-sony) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-08-25*